Machine



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RALPH BROWVNSON, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO\VILLIAM A. HARDENBERGH, OF SAME PLACE.

HORSE-COLLAR-STUFFING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 425,063, dated April 8,1890. Application filed August 20, 1889. Serial No. 321,398. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RALPH Bnownson, of St. Paul, in the county of Ramseyand State of Mlnnesota, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Machines for Stuffing Horse- Collars with Long Straw;and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings,

IO forming a part of this specification, and to the letters of referencemarked thereon.

This lnventionrelates to improvements in that class of machines used tostuff horsecollars with strawor other material after the 1 collar hasbeen sewed or put in a condition to receive the same, the object of theinvention being to provide a machine which will stuif the collars withlong straw in a rapid andefficient manner and at a uniform degree ofhardness.

To these ends the invention consists in certaln novel details ofconstruction and combinations and arrangements of parts to behereinafterdescribed, and pointed out particu- 2 5 larly in the claims at the endof this-specification.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of amachine constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a 0 topplan view of the same with the top plate removed. Fig. 3 is alongitudinal section. Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the line as as,Fig. 2.

Similar letters of reference in the several 3 5 figures indicate thesame parts.

The body of the machine, consisting, essentially, of the head-blockformed by the top and bottom plates A A, is mounted on a frame suitablefor the purpose, so that the machine 0 may be properly manipulatedsuch,for instance, as shown in the drawings-and to each of these plates issecured one of the channeled guides 13 or B, which extend out andforward of the plates. Each of the guides is 5 channeled, as shown inFig. 4, and in the preferred construction the upper one is somewhatlonger than the lower one, both being tapered, as shown, to permit thestraw to expand and be properly positioned, as will here inafter appear.Anarrow stuffing-rod O, having the forward end slightly concaved, andrecip'rocated in any preferred manner, passes in between the channeledguides, and, when retracted, as illustrated in Fig. 2, is beyond therear ends thereof, permitting a tuft of straw 5 5 to be placed in frontof it and forced forward in the space between said guides. The tuft ofstraw is doubled back and kept in proper shape during its forwardmovement by means of the concave straps F passing aroundthe concaverollers H and convex rollers G,and extend ing out along the channeledguides, bridging the space between them. The forward ends of the strapsare connected to the lower back end of clamp K, which slides freely onthe guides, and is adapted to retain the collar in position until it isproperly filled. I

To fill or stuff a collar it is first slipped on the channeled guides asfar as desired and attached to the clamp K. Then the rod is reciprocated and the tufts of long straw fed by hand or otherwise asrapidly as desired in front of the same, being carried by the rodbetween the rollers H and straps, by which it is doubled and formed,thence being carried on through the space between the guides and strapsuntil it is allowed to expand laterally Within the collar at a pointbeyond the clamp. Now, as the collar is gradually filled it is of coursedesirable that the guides be withdrawn at a corresponding rate and thatmeans be provided for insuring a uniform and regular compression of thefilling within the collar from one end to the other. These desirableresults are accomplished by connectingweights M, or their equivalents,to the rear ends of cords attached to the straps and pass ing overpulleys 'm', permitting the clamp to slide on the channeled guides, sothat as the collar which is attached to the clamp is grad- 9o uallyfilled it gradually moves off of the guides and draws the clamp outward,elevating the weights, and at the same time keeping the straps taut,with the concave sides next to and close by the sides of the guides,making a support for the tufts of straw, as will be' readily understood.The long straw, it will be seen, is permitted to expand laterally andfill the collar while still under the influence of the guides, thusinsuring a smooth and regular packing as each successive charge isforced in, which result would not be accomplished in so perfect a mannerwere a tube employed instead of the two guides with the open spacebetween them, as the ends of the charge would be doubled, formingtangles, which it would be difficult to pack in such manner as to besmooth and form a regular and uniform mat, comfortable to the horsesshoulder and of pleasing appearance, as is done by my machine. The sizeand propertions of the parts may be of course changed, as well as theminor details of construction, without departing from the spirit of myin- Vention.

Having thus described my in ention, what I claim as new is 1. I11 amachine for stuffing collars with long straw, the combination, with thereciprocating rod and the guides for the filling and rod, having thespace between them, of the movable and supporting straps bridging thespace between the guides, substantially as and for the purposespecified.

2. In a machine for stuffing collars with long straw, the combination,with the reciprocating rod and the guides for the filling, having thespace between them, of the movable supporting-straps bridging the spacebetween them and the clamp for engaging the collar connected to saidstraps at the forward end, substantially as described.

3. In a machine for stulfing collars with long straw, the combination,with the reciprocating rod and the guides for the filling and rod,having the space between them, of the movable and supporting strapsbridging the space between the guides, the weights connected to saidstraps at the rear end, and the clamp connected thereto at the forwardend, substantially as described.

2-1:. In a machine for stuifing collars with long straw, thecombination, with the recip rocating rod and the guides for the fillingand rod, having the space between them, of the straps bridging saidspace, the concave and convex rollers around which said straps pass, theclamp connected to one end of said straps, and the Weights to the other,substantially as described.

5. In a machine for stuffing collars with long straw, the combination,with the channeled or grooved stufling-guides, of the concavedsupporting-straps and concave and convex rollers for guiding and shaping said straps, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

RALPH BRO \VNSON.

Witnesses:

Louis FEEsER, J12, P. W. FAnicv.

